welcome to "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. first a look at the headlines. russian president vladimir putin has laid out his vision of how to end the fighting in ukraine and he's hoping for an agreement by the end of the week. chinese president xi jinping has looked back on a turning point in relations with japan and says a long term friendship benefits both nations. and japanese wagyu is

hitting the market in europe after a lifting of a ban on imports. russian president vladimir putin has outlined plans for a cease-fire in eastern ukraine. he spoke over the phone with the ukrainian president, petro poroshenko. and putin said he believed government forces and pro-russian separatists would agree to stop fighting. >> translator: our views on the way to resolve the conflict as it seemed to me are very close. >> putin revealed a seven-point plan to end a conflict that killed more than 2600 people since april. he called for the separatists to halt offensive operations and for ukrainian forces to pull back. he asked for an end to ukrainian air strikes and the creation of humanitarian aid corridors. he suggested damaged infrastructure be rebuilt and prisoners be released. representatives of russia, ukraine and the organization for security and cooperation in europe will meet in minsk, belarus, to discuss a truce.

putin said he expects delegates for ukraine and for the separatists could reach an agreement. poroshenko suggested his conversation with putin had injected some momentum into efforts to end the conflict. but he insists that before a cease-fire, the separatists will have to disarm. putin wants an unconditional cease-fire. u.s. president barack obama has condemned russia for causing instability in the region. he visited the former soviet republic of estonia. on his way to a know nato summit in wales. >> it was not kiev that destabilized ukraine it is the pro-russian separatists who are encouraged by russia, financed by russia, trained by russia, supplied by russia and armed by russia. >> obama said that people in the baltic nations of estonia, latvia and lith wane yeah know that freedom needs a foundation of security. he said nato guarantees their independence and he said nato leaders have to step up and

commit to meeting their responsibilities to the alliance. french leaders are signaling their objections. aides to president francois hollande say he is putting plans to deliver a warship to moscow on hold. russian officials agreed to pay $1.6 billion for two ships. they signed a contract three years ago with a french ship building firm. the first vessel was supposed to be delivered next month. officials at the french presidential office say that won't happen now. european leaders announced a ban in july on weapons sales to russia as part of a round of economic sanctions. french officials said at the time they would go ahead and deliver the first ship. they said that sanctions did not cover contracts that were already signed but they faced pressure from the leaders of other countries to put the deal on hold. the nato leaders will discuss what they can do to stop

militants who made a push across syria and iraq. obama says u.s. officials have confirmed that members of the group islamic state have executed a second american journalist and he says justice will be served. >> like people around the world, americans are repulsed by the barbarism. we will not be intimidated. their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorist. >> freelance journalist steven sotloff was kidnapped last year in syria. militants from islamic state released a video earlier this week showing him being executed. it resembles one released last month showing the murder of another american journalist, james foley. a masked man speaking in a british accent appears in both videos. he warns that the group will continue killing hostages until obama stops air strikes against militants in syria and iraq.

leaders in china have gathered to look back. they attended what they called a victory ceremony to mark japan's surrender in 1945. ♪ state run media broadcast the event live. all seven members of the politburo standing committee including president xi jinping and premier li keqiang took part. authorities announced earlier this year that they decided to designate september 3rd, victory day. one day earlier in 1945, japanese leaders officially surrendered to allied forces. president xi later delivered a speech at a symposium. he said china would safeguard the fruits of victory and the post-war world order. he said china won't allow any denial or distortion of history or any return to militarism.

leaders in beijing have criticized their japanese counterparts in recent months for what they see as shift to the right. they condemned president abe's visit to a shrine in tokyo. the shrine honors japan's war dead. those remember include leaders convicted of war crimes. but xi said a long-term friendship benefits both nations. he said the government and people of china will make further efforts in this direction. analysts say it is unusual for xi so make a mention in public about friendship with japan. chinese internet users are divided by an article that came out on victory day. it focuses on the aid japan has provided to china. ten cent carried the article on its news site for smartphone users. it is called "has japan done anything other than harm china?" it included a photo of japanese rescue workers praying for the

victims of an earthquake in 2008. another picture highlighted the contribution a late japanese man made to the greening of chinese land. the article notes japanese official development assistance to china added up to $36 billion over the 30 years through 2008. but many chinese remembwere ups about the article. four times as many criticized it as those who praised it. some wrote they hoped for better ties. others said there are many lessons to be learned from japan. american business leaders are seeing some positive science for the economy. ai uchida has the latest. what is the outlook in the u.s.? >> eight times a year officials at the federal reserve, they talk to business leaders, economists, other market experts and they publish something with a rather bland name officially known as "the summary of commentary on economic conditions." it's also known as the beige book.

but what the people at the fed found was a brighter outlook for the economy. the federal reserve system is made up of 12 districts. fed officials interview business leaders and others in those regions to compile the beige book. respondents in all regions said they saw moderate to modest growth. some reported record high level of auto sales. those in a number of districts said they saw an increase in tourism activity, including more bookings for hotels and most respondents were optimistic about manufacturing. trends in employment and wages were relatively unchanged. policymakers will meet in two weeks to talk about what they'll do next. they've kept interest rates near historical lows for years. they are expected to talk about changing their approach. a recovery in the american economy is boosting demand in the key auto industry. sales of new cars stayed strong in august and sport utility vehicles were especially popular

among buyers. analysts from auto data say that u.s. car makers sold nearly 1.6 million units last montebourg. that is an increase of 5.5% from august last year. sales of suvs and compact models are due to a modest economic recovery. chrysler saw an increase of 19.8%. and force of 0.4%. but gm reported a decline of 1.2%. meanwhile among japanese makers, nissan posted a sales increase of more than 11%, toyota more than 6%, and honda 0.4%. those signs of growth couldn't reverse the hesitant

mood on wall street. investors were concerned about the cease-fire planned in ukraine and the dow inched up marginally on the day. here in tokyo, investors here are following the trend. the nikkei is trading in negative territory one day after rising to seven-month highs. analysts say some investors are selling stocks to take advantage of the recent advances. now the dollar, that jumped above 105 yen on wednesday but it has given up some of those gains. the u.s. currency is trading this morning in a narrow band against the yen and the euro. people who track the market say investors are waiting to hear what central bank chiefs have to say about their economies. bank of japan governor and european central bank president will be speaking later today after their policy meetings. let's take a look at what is happening in other asia markets. the kospi is trading higher by .2%. let's see what is happening in china.

shanghai's key index up a touch. and in hong kong, the hang seng is down .25%. a bit of a mixed picture in the asia pacific today. trade negotiators from 12 countries have gathered in vietnam for a new round of talks for the transpacific partnership and on the other side of the ocean, japanese and american officials have resumed their own part of the deal that focuses on autos. those talks opened in washington on wednesday and will run for three days. u.s. officials want to increase their auto exports so they are urging their japanese counterparts to revise their standards on vehicle safety and fuel efficiencies. the u.s. wants the right to reinstate duties in the event of a surge. but the two sides have yet to reach an agreement. next week the focus will be on agriculture when negotiators meet in tokyo. a swiss based research

institute has ranked japan the sixth most competitive economy. that's up three places from last year. researchers at the world economic forum ranked the global standing of economies every year. they analyze a number of data such as corporate operation, education and medicine. switzerland remains in the top spot and singapore is second. the u.s. is up two notches to third place. 144 countries and territories are looked at in the annual rankings. japan was given a high rating for its favorable business environment and innovation in technologies. but its huge national debt that is twice the country's economic size is a drag on its global standing. the institute also cites japan's tax system and rigid labor market has had verse factors affecting the country's ability to compete.

the world economic forum hold meetings where business leaders from around the world gather to discuss global issues. microsoft launched an xbox 1 video gaming console in japan. as more and more gamers turn to smartphones. the launch came late for japanese customers. the console has already been on sale in the u.s. and other countries since last november. microsoft engineers needed extra time to make the consoles voice recognition functions work in japanese. officials held a launch event in tokyo. they said the device's ability to recognize physical movements and expressions has been improved. microsoft's main competitor sony isn't standing still. the company plans to increase its game titles from 70 to 170

by next spring. that is part of sony's plan to increase domestic sales of its gaming console, the playstation 4. farmers in japan want to give europeans a taste of japanese beef. last year, authorities in europe lifted a ban on imports. now japanese executives are trying to sell europeans on the merits of wagyu. >> reporter: -- promotes japanese beef. he works for the japanese federation of agricultural cooperatives. today he visits a butcher in central paris to discuss wagyu sales. tada asked the shopkeeper what the french think of wagyu. >> translator: fatty meat is not popular with french people it will probably be tough to sell it in france.

>> reporter: europeans prefer lean meat. so it's no wonder that tada feels it's a challenge to sell beef that is expensive and marbled with fat. he sought help from the japan external trade organization or jetro. they will come up with a plan to distribute wagyu in france. >> translator: for french consumers there is no precedent for eating this kind of beef. so we'll study how this meat can be cooked and served. >> reporter: how do they go about persuading the french to eat their product? -- of jetro visits a three-star restaurant in paris. peer area gagnier is the head

chef. he is known for his skillful use of ingredients from around the globe. he asked for tips on how to bring out the best flavor from the marbled beef. >> translator: add vinegar. it will help ease the fatty taste. >> reporter: many japanese would consider this innovative. >> translator: it's best to use just a small amount of wagyu because it's expensive. the meat is fatty. but above all, it is soft. >> reporter: in july, jetro organized a promotional event. some 100 people were invited, including chefs and owners of high-end restaurants. they watched a demonstration of how to cook wagyu.

ganiere addressed the crowd. he cooked the wagyu in the traditional french style of braising. he cut a slice of bite sized meats and covered them in sauce. even a small amount of wagyu is enough to give a dish some zest. >> translator: i enjoyed the natural taste. it seemed the beef melted in my mouth. >> translator: i would definitely use wagyu. for us, it's a new ingredient. so to cook it, new skills are needed. >> reporter: tada received 50 inquiries from people interested in wagyu. >> translator: the next step is to figure out how the demand for this beef never drops.

>> reporter: japan has just started exporting wagyu to europe. the key is to convince people who eat luxury foods that this unique japanese beef belongs on their menu. >> and that's the latest in business news for this hour. i'll leave you with a check on markets. india and australia appear ready to sign a key nuclear export agreement moving closer at a time which when china's presence in the region has been growing. india has not signed the nuclear nonproliferation treaty. but australia seems willing to overlook that. tony abbott's three-day visit

starts on thursday and will be a chance to build a relationship with india's newly elected prime minister. narendra modi swept to power in may, promising to revitalize the indian economy. abbott says australia is ready to help. >> my hope, madame speaker, is to deepen the friendship between australia and india at a time of renewed optimism in india under the new government of prime minister modi. i'm hoping to sign a nuclear cooperation agreement that will enable uranium sales by australia to india. >> australia holds one-third of the world's known uranium reserves. but exports to countries outside the nuclear nonproliferation treaty are restricted. negotiations on a civil nuclear energy cooperation pact with india were agreed by previous governments. demand for electricity in india has been soaring with the country's expanding economy. but infrastructure has not kept

up and power shortages are a critical problem. uranium from australia could be used to fuel new nuclear power plants under construction. more and more people in thailand are considering getting themselves a facelift. the cosmetic surgery market is booming but not every doctor is qualified to do the job. nhk world's -- reports. >> reporter: it's known as the land of smiles. now the people in charge of promoting tourism want thailand to be known as the land of making smiles too. free cosmetic surgery is the price of this ad campaign showing caring nurses and state-of-the-art hospitals. but not all the patients come from abroad. more and more women from thailand's growing middle class can't wait to change the way

they look. the country has more than 200 plastic surgery clinics creating an industry worth more than $600 million a year. looks can be deceiving. thai medical authorities have shut down more than a dozen clinics in the last 12 months for operating without a license. complaints are up almost 30%. >> translator: check if they are legal or you could be left with serious problems, even blindness. >> reporter: this 31-year-old woman dreamed of getting a sharp new nose turned into a nightmare. the botched operation at a bangkok clinic left her disfigured and depressed. clinic left her disfigured and depressed. >> translator: my nostrils were so small, i couldn't breathe properly. i was devastated. i wanted to commit suicide.

i thought, why did this happen to me? i saw photos of pretty women on facebook. everyone looked so beautiful. so i chose this one. >> reporter: samadya found the clinic online but she had no idea the doctor wasn't a qualified plastic surgeon. she sued for compensation. >> translator: i didn't know he wasn't certified. i found out later. i want to warn people contemplating plastic surgery to do their homework and not just believe whatever they read online. >> reporter: the thai medical council internal code requires every plastic surgeon to be certified. but a code isn't legally binding. many doctors offer plastic surgery regardless. >> translator: the law doesn't require doctors to receive further training to become plastic surgeons. even if they aren't certified, they can do whatever they want. so standards of service are very uneven.

>> reporter: demand for cosmetic surgery continues to grow among both thais and foreigners. if thailand wants to be seen as a trustworthy place for treatment, measures to protect patients need urgent work. nuppol suvansombat, nhk world bangkok. it's time for a check of the weather. people in baja, california are experiencing the effects of a hurricane. mai shoji tells us more in world weather. >> we have two storms to talk about. one was tropical storm dolly has made landfall over eastern coast of mexico. it's now a remnant low pressure system. another is this, this is a tropical storm. but now became a hurricane status. it's a category one. it's called norbert and headed to baja, california as a hurricane status. it is likely to bring life threatening rip currents and

storm surges and we have tropical storm warnings in and around cabo san lucas. la paz has tropical storm watch. and not only the high waves and the coastal locations but the surge of the moisture could cause about 100 millimeters in and around these areas. but the surge of the moisture will be pounding western coast of mexico, topping as much as 130 millimeters. because of that dolly still remnant low being here, the surge of the moisture continues. all that combines will be bringing a messy picture across southern areas of mexico and surging up to the four corners. flash flooding is possible anywhere around these areas. heavy rain will be traversing for the next couple days. stormy weather will be continuing here. stormy weather will be pounding here into the western great lake region, topping 70 millimeters of rainfall and there are chances of hail and really gusty conditions. down to the florida panhandle looking very messy. out to the west we're looking at

wintery precipitation. about 7 centimeters will fall in the higher elevations and the low temperatures will be dropping to single digits. but on the flip side we're looking at some summer hanging on in new york and in d.c. watch out for heatstroke there. as for the midsection of the u.s. due to that cold front, denver will see a huge drop from 33 degrees down to 23 and then down to 22 on your friday and wichita take a look at that, 36 reported on wednesday, down to 24 degrees. so these temperature drops will be really difficult for bodies to cope with. please take precautions. here in japan we're not looking at any good story due to the heavy excessive rainfall that has been pounding the area. we have already a lot of numerous reports of rainfall accumulation as much as 200 millimeters across tokushima and

in koji and nagasaki area. and out here we're looking at additional amounts of 200 millimeters on top of the 200 we have seen in the past 24 hours. not a good news. not only could lead to secondary disasters but the suspension of the search operations in hiroshima could prolong. we are looking at 100 millimeters of rainfall in hokkaido as well. but the system is slow moving. so we're not seeing a lot of precipitation. we'll be precipitation free for today in and around tokyo. now to europe this is a cutoff low we have been talking about for a few days now is pounding similar locations and due to the distance of the jet stream all the way here this is left alone and is going to be taking several while -- several days to actually disperse. so more rain to pound here as well as thunderstorms. meanwhile really pleasant, paris

and berlin, nice to be out and about over the weekend. i'll leave you now for your extended forecast. and that concludes this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in

tokyo. thanks for joining us.

>> good evening from los angeles. i'm tavis smiley. first a conversation with the creators of the freakenomics franchise. their book turned into a documentary, a radio show and then a blog. now they are back with think like a freak. then we will turn to a conversation with musician brian culbertson. he will close our show tonight with a performance of one of the songs from that cd called horizon. i'm glad you could join us. conversations and a performance from brian culbertson coming up right now.